“As we touch the bark, we feel the tree touching us”
(David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous, p. 268)
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֱמֹ֣ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֡ן קַ֣ח מַטְּךָ֣ וּנְטֵֽה־יָדְךָ֩ עַל־מֵימֵ֨י מִצְרַ֜יִם עַֽל־נַהֲרֹתָ֣ם ׀ עַל־יְאֹרֵיהֶ֣ם וְעַל־אַגְמֵיהֶ֗ם וְעַ֛ל כׇּל־מִקְוֵ֥ה מֵימֵיהֶ֖ם וְיִֽהְיוּ־דָ֑ם וְהָ֤יָה דָם֙ בְּכׇל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּבָעֵצִ֖ים וּבָאֲבָנִֽים׃
And יהוה said to Moses, “Say to Aaron: Take your rod and hold out your arm over the waters of Egypt—its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water—that they may turn to blood; there shall be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and stone.”
אמר אל אהרן. לְפִי שֶׁהֵגֵן הַיְאוֹר עַל מֹשֶׁה כְּשֶׁנִּשְׁלַךְ לְתוֹכוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא לָקָה עַל יָדוֹ לֹא בַדָּם וְלֹא בַצְפַרְדְּעִים, וְלָקָה עַל יְדֵי אַהֲרֹן (שמות רבה):
אמר אל אהרן SAY UNTO AARON — Because the river had protected Moses when he was cast into it, therefore it was not smitten by him neither at the plague of blood nor at that of frogs, but it was smitten by Aaron (Exodus Rabbah 9:10).
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ אֱמֹר֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן נְטֵ֣ה אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֔ וְהַ֖ךְ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהָיָ֥ה לְכִנִּ֖ם בְּכׇל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Then יהוה said to Moses, “Say to Aaron: Hold out your rod and strike the dust of the earth, and it shall turn to lice throughout the land of Egypt.”
אמר אל אהרן. לֹא הָיָה הֶעָפָר כְּדַאי לִלְקוֹת עַ"יְ מֹשֶׁה, לְפִי שֶׁהֵגֵן עָלָיו כְּשֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַמִּצְרִי וַיִּטְמְנֵהוּ בַּחוֹל, וְלָקָה עַל יְדֵי אַהֲרֹן (שמות רבה):
אמר אל אהרן SAY UNTO AARON — The dust did not deserve to be smitten by Moses because it had protected him when he slew the Egyptian, for “he hid him in the sand”; and it was therefore smitten by Aaron (Tanchuma; Exodus Rabbah 10:7).
Hebrew: ברוך אתה ה׳ אלוקינו מלך העולם בורא מיני מזונות
Transliteration: Baruch Atta H' Elo'heinu Melech HaOlam Boreh...
Translation: Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who creates ....
[ר' שלמה וולבה, עלי שור, חלק ראשון עמ' קיא]
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Baruch: You are the source of all blessings and spiritual abundance... "baruch" - in the same grammatical pattern as merciful, compassionate, sacred.
Atah: We speak to Hashem in the present tense. He is revealed in this world through his actions and wants a connection with us. That is why we approach the Divine face to face - full of Awe!
Hashem: YHVH as is written (in the letters of The Name): was, is, will be, encompassing All and all the worlds are nothing compared to Him ... this kavannah calls for complete self - annulment before the Blessed - who fills all of creation - and it is very deep, and this is a kavannah we only use for the first sentence of the Sh'mah. As we call Hashem: "Lord of All", and this kavannah as well signifies towards the oneness of all His created servants, from the highest in creation to the lowest of the low.
Eloheinu: Elohim - master of all forces, their protector, does what he wills with them, ruler and judge. Eloheinu - we the People Israel have merited a personal protection, always, because we have crowned Him on us. Hashem Eloheinu: the full Name: the essence of All and driver of All, who hasne't given over the power of protection to another entity. Hashem - is the God!
Melech Ha'Olam: God's Sovereignty is evident in the existence of this world and the nations who are also ruled by Him. Israel are like God's children - and a king among his children is not yet evident in his majesty. Or - they are included in the Godhead, because the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel are one, therefore "our God" is not a signifier of sovereignty, but a name. His sovereignty is revealed within this world, that neither "nature" nor "the nations of the world" are independent realities, but all are "Your servants".
Boreh: Creation is something from nothing. The title “Boreh” is also used in past tense.
[From R' Shlomo Wolbe, Alei Shur book 1, p. 111]